Art Break

Wanna take a break from sunshine, flowers, soft breezes, cool shadows?

I had a little conversation with grey and orange last week while contemplating the kitchen "update" and some of these little goodies I found along the way.   A couple I've had tucked aside for awhile.  Seemed like a good time to bring them out!

Alexander McQueen

Dorte (click to see her blog and other pics)

this and the next three or so via Sophie Munns' Seed Capsules

You know already that I am a big fan of Sophie's.  She has a great, witty, energetic eye.

Jessica Williams from Paperheart.  Her stuff is GREAT!

I am also a great lover of collage.  Did you know that already?  Some others from dearada.tumblr

And ceramics.  Can you believe these are ceramic?

Friends of Homerton Station, Rose de Borman

And plants, and the naive.  Actually that one looks alot like something a friend does.

Did I say Nature?  Oh no, I said plants.  What about these "crop circles"?  Arrayed for miles and miles around Dallas, TX.  What up?

Me, or you?  Looks like a mask.  But it's Nature.

Alexander Girard, (above) yes, LOVE!

Look closely.  What do you see?

Some themes we return to over and over, no?

I think these are called Penny Black.  They might be geraniums.

Ceramics again!  Can I claim this you-know-whose-it (Picasso) as my own self-portrait?  I'd like that very much!

How was the art break?  Good for you, too?  Thanks for hanging in with me!  Glad you came inside?

A Little Sunshine

Getting enough of it?

Thanks for all the great comments on the Corner View post everybody!  I'm still busy-buzzing around so just a little shot of sweet today and I'll be back tomorrow with a longer post.  This bicycle is from Hello Sandwich.  Like?

Corner View - Box of Tricks and June Giveaway Winner!

Remember anyone, the little suitcase on the right that I blogged about here?  I got some big company for it.  I've been making a larger box of alphabet rubber stamps.  I'm not quite right through ALL the letters yet but I'm having lots of fun carving them.  When I'm all done with letters, who knows what I could continue on to.......?????

Photo: Antony Crolla, World of Interiors,  June '09; Artist: David Gentleman

These above aren't quite a box of tricks, but an intriguing shelf full of possibilities.  Mine could be a box, if my carving/cutting skills advance that far.

Do you keep boxes around the house filled with possibilities past and present?

Photos:  Annie Schlecter, World of Interiors, Dec '08

Remember Andy Warhol?  He kept a few boxes around during his lifetime.  612 "Time Capsules" to be exact.  These last two photos are the contents of some.   And you can learn more about them here.

Photo: Fritz von der Schulenberg, World of Interiors July '09

I love the idea of this box, which contains the parts of a scale model of beautiful mostly wood home made by Austrian designer, Lukas Lang.  Lang is an octogenarian architect, who has produced a series of homes constructed of pre-fabricated components.  They need not be constructed by professionals (i.e., it's the ultimate Do-It-Yourself home, yes YOU build it!) and they may also be fairly easily extended or reduced in size by the homeowner.  They are also designed to be extremely recyclable.  Well I'm still kind of worn out from painting my kitchen so maybe I won't tackle constructing a whole house.  But who doesn't like getting down on the floor and putting a model together?  (You?  Why not?)

So do you have your own box(es) of tricks?  Or do you prefer viewing other peoples'?

Otli!  You are the winner of the June Giveaway chopstick rests and Pia Jane Bijkerk book!  Get in touch with me at passagesparadis@hotmail.com and tell me how I can get them to you.  

For more Corner Views:  

Francesca, Jane, Ian, Don, Anna, Dana, LaNinja, Theresa, CherryB, Joyce, Natsumi, Lumetta, Kari, Bonnie, Cate, Dorte, Skylar, April, Lollipop, Janis, ibb, jgy, IdaNielsen, Liza, Likeschocolate, Isabelle, Lucylaine, Allegria, Pienduzz, Elisabelle,RosaMaria, Elizabeth, BichosdaMatos, Juniper, Victoria, Annabel, Angie, Emily, Kamana, Tikjewit, Tanïa, Barbara, Moetjatja, Dorit, Flowtops, Valérie, Juliette, Castor, Wanderchow, LouetTom, Lise, FashionCampagne, Tzivia, Cole,Juanita, Li + Belle, Sophie, Menthe blanche, Leslie...

The Treasures of San Telmo - Buenos Aires

San Telmo is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires.

With cobblestone streets, graceful old houses with deep courtyards and arcades.

A famous antiques market every Sunday

on the Plaza Borrego.

Clustered around the Plaza are gorgeous atmospheric cafes and the kind of high end antiques stores

that you will find in most major cities.  But what I like poking around in

and which it still seems relatively easy to find in Buenos Aires, are the kinds of things that average people used to have

which were a part of ordinary 19th and early 20th century middle class lives, daily life, domestic life, childhood.

I'm pretty convinced I didn't live in a palace in a previous life.  That's o.k.  I like the regular old stuff.

Monday Bites: The Slow Rise with Accordions! Tartine Bakery, SF and...........

(via style-files.com)

Have you seen this video yet about Tartine Bakery?  If you're not a baker of bread but think you could be, you must! And if you've never known a nice Japanese young woman who plays the accordion just like she was born to a Parisian sidewalk ..................well!  What are you waiting for?

Summer Sepia

Anyone planning a getaway?  Can you talk about it?

Happy Weekend Everybody

Here we have the obligatory annual early summer peony picture.  I was a little late to the party (so what's new?) .....

Seems like EVERY other blogger in my hood had already posted their pictures.   I'm thinking we're all buying our peonies from Trader Joe's so I was so happy to see last week that I had not missed the season entirely i.e., there were still some in the store!  These flowers were HEAVENLY.  And they made my house smell unbelievably fresh and gorgeous and summery.  They seemed to trap the light in a very special way too.  

Hope it was a good week for all of you.  Ours here started out a little wobbly so I'm SO GLAD to be finishing it with a big smile on my face.  (And alot of kitchen cleanup to do.)

Have a super duper weekend todos lindos y lindas ....... I'll be here to catch up again with you next week and announce the giveway winner!  

xoxoxo

Friday Folie via Mes Petites Miscellanees

Actually I think I found the first picture below on Sophie's site (as well as the previous posts' mica) and then I was led to Mes Petites Miscellanees a blog and tumblr site that I ran into ages ago and have forgotten since.  Look what I've been missing:

I like the unexpected quality about all these images.

I'm making good progress on the kitchen.  Soon I'll have the walls completely painted, then I'll have to decide what to hang on them!  

Staying cool everybody?  Can't believe it's Friday already!  And almost the end of June!  Who's leaving on holiday?

Mica Group via Sophie

I'm madly busy painting my kitchen walls.  I have these very nice kitchen cabinets but they are maple

and frankly they are kinda orange looking!  (Who really wants an orange kitchen - not everybody!  Including me. Maybe if it were a mid-century style.......which it isn't!  My ideal is white.)  But Mr. Paradis said, "ABSOLUTELY NO REPAINTING OF CABINETS - UNTIL WE WIN THE LOTTERY!!!"  

So I had a brain wave.  Looking at an old Martha Stewart Living:  It dawned on me:  GRAY!  Er, or really, GREY! (my preferred spelling).  I love it with orange as in this gorgeous photo from Sophie Munns' mesmerizing tumblr site Seed Capsules.  Of Mica.  You know what mica is don't you?  I can't say I've really thought about it since I was in third grade which seems to be when you learn about these things - but as a reminder to all of us as to what Mica is, here's a Wikipedia link.   If you don't want to click, can I just tell you that Mica has perfect basal cleavage?  Now you know!  I don't remember learning that in 3rd grade.

Anyway, back to grey: The walls were bright white before.  So in no time flat,  I tore out the old bench underneath the window and stripped it of it's orange plaid seat cushion (YUCK!  What'd I say about this kitchen and orange?).   I ran to the paint store for a silvery/greeney/grey paint.  And I'm buying brushed aluminum stools to set alongside the counter.  I also have my eye on a galvanized something bench to set along a "dead" wall to accommodate gardening stuff on and below it.  I'm also painting my old Ikea step stool grey.  Go figure it took me over three years to decide on this change! 

I just hope when it's finished, the kitchen will look half as gorgeous as these miracles of nature.    All this to say, that's why it's a short post today!

What on earth are you up to?  Don't forget to comment for the June giveaway!  

Corner View - Positive Thoughts for Bad Moments

All things must pass by  George Harrison.  Sung at Concert for George by Paul.  Performed by Eric Clapton, Danny Harrison,  Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr,  Billy Preston,  Albert Lee and on and on....

Can't tell you how much this chokes me up AND calms me down.  First saw the Concert for George at a time of my life when great wonderfulness was happening at the exact same time as not such wonderfulness.  This song made sense of it all.  But no, I did not run out and join a buddhist monastery.  

"All things must pass.  None of life's dreams can last." 

But before I go:  Hello!  Giveaway!  Check back to my post of yesterday regarding my June giveaway.  See anything there that appeals?  If you do, please leave a comment on this blog at any time during the next 8 days, and at the end of my Wednesday, June 29, Corner View post, I will announce the winner of this giveaway. At that time, the lucky aesthete who has won can email me their details for shipping the goodies out to whatever corner of the world you happen to be tucked into.

And for more Corner Views of course:  Francesca, Jane, Ian, Don, Anna, Dana, LaNinja, Theresa, CherryB, Joyce, Natsumi, Lumetta, Kari, Bonnie, Cate, Dorte, Skylar, April, Lollipop, Janis, ibb, jgy, IdaNielsen, Liza, Likeschocolate, Isabelle, Lucylaine, Allegria, Pienduzz, Elisabelle,RosaMaria, Elizabeth, BichosdaMatos, Juniper, Victoria, Annabel, Angie, Emily, Kamana, Tikjewit, Tanïa, Barbara, Moetjatja, Dorit, Flowtops, Valérie, Juliette, Castor, Wanderchow, LouetTom, Lise, FashionCampagne, Tzivia, Cole,Juanita, Li + Belle, Sophie, Menthe blanche, Leslie...